Method and apparatus for manufacturing and assembling cathode starting sheets for electrolysis



March is, 1932.

1 8 0 w 8% 11 M B M E SS A Y 3 A R T M EN I W TR NC 0 .I EF S TWT s E NM Ems w m I Em M T F A MT w M hm N A C METHOD Filed May 23, 1929 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS 3?- By Attorneys, aha/am. W k? w. F.EPPENSTEINER ETA]. 1,849,081

' March 15, 1932.

" METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEHBLING CATHODE STARTINGSHEETS FOR ELECTROLYSIS Filed May 23, 1929 4 Sheets-"Sheet 2 w 0 T N E VN By Attorneys, @mm 9 w 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 5 1932- w. F.EPPENSTEINER ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLINGCATHODE STARTING SHEETS FOR ELECTROLYSIS Filed May 23, 1929 W. F.EPPENSTEINER ET AL March 15, 1932. 1,849,081

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEIIBLING CATHODE STARTINGSHEETS FOR ELECTROLYSIS 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 Filed My 25. 1929 Z INVENTQRBy Attorneys, G' W y Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED [STATES WILLIAM F.nrrn'nsrrnmnn, or woonnarnC-n, WILLIAM F. errnnsrrnmnn. or nnnwarnnw(JERSEY, nssrenons T UNITED strn'rn's utants REFINING COM; rnnY orcnnrnnnnnnw annsny, A eonronn'rIoN or new JERSEY PATENT oFFIcs METHODnnnerrnnn'rus For; MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLING cATnon-E STARTING sHnETsnon ELECTROLYSIS a V Application fil'ed May 23,

This invention relatesto: the manufacture of cathode sheets used in theeleotrolytlc refining of copper. Such Sheets'have usually been: flatsheets of electrolytic; copper, but a recentimportant improvement is setforth 1n our patent granted December 15, 1931, numbered 1,886,368,wherein the sheets are straightened and stiflened by corrugation andhave the loops for connecting them to thecopper conduetingrods united bya clinching method. Reference is made to that application for a morecomplete understanding of the precise preferred construction of thestarting cathode. J

The present invention provides for the more economical manufacture andassembl ng of such cathodesh'eets. The nature of the operationsand themechanismsfor perform ing them will be made apparent as the descriptionproceeds. V a 7 Referring tothe accompanying drawin 's'- v I Figure 1 isa plan showing .a suitable relative location of the various apparatus tobe described. I V

. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly invertrcal section, showing theapparatus for feed ng the electro-depositedcopper sheets into theannealing furnace.

, Fig. 3 is a similar elevation showing the means for removing thesheets, quenching them, and stacking them for reconveyance.

Fig. 4C is an elevation, partly in dlagram, showing themeans whereby theoperations. of

' feeding the sheets into-the corrugating press,

and feeding the completed sheets therefrom and stacking them on raoks,are performed.

Fig. 5is afragmentary elevationshowing the top and bottom of one of thecompleted sheets. p g o;

-Fi-g.,6 is. a vertical transverse section thereof, on alarger scale. vI g Figs. 7 and 8 are enlargements of a portion. of Fig. 4 showing twosuccessive stages ofthe operation of applying loops.

Referring to Fig. 1, he-sheets-ofelectrol-yticcopper having beensuitablystacked one on top. of another and piled onto suitable cars 'or trams,these stacks being shown'at 00,11, are carried inpairs or'groups. ofthree or 1929.. Serial No. 365.537. I

more). upon a table or support located at b, and from this are fed intoan annealing, furnace or oven A (preferably of the tunnel type), fromwhich they are. fed out and then immersed in water-in a'bosh B ,to coolthem, after which they. are superposed'to form stacks c of which anyconvenient number locatedin, for example, the positions'o' may beaccumulated and held in reserve ready for the next operation. Any one ofthese stacks c .is then carried. along tra,cks d,. e, to either ofthepositions indicated at f,/",.vvhere theystand in, convenientrelation'tocor'rugating presses CpGr Meanwhile the custom ary'rods usedwith such sheets having been deposited in any suitable container g, arefed Y out therefrom and straightened in an apparatus located, forexample, ath, and such portions 10f them as require tobep-olished: arcbrightened by revolving wire brushes or wheels located at i, the rodsbeing fedalong a track or .way shown in dotted linesat j,

and finally carried to a feeder Z6, whereby the D, may then be trammedover tracks m leading ftoJthe part of the works where the elec;

trod'cposition to form electrolyticv copper performed]- Referring now toFig. 2, the stack a is lcarriedfon. a platformn transported on atc ar iE, andis li-ftedby any. suitablemeans' uch as ahydraulic ram F, to bringthe top sheet with-inrange of a. pneumat c sucker or other feeding devce p.. As thestack diminishes in height. it will be gradually fed up bytheram.

The lifter may be any. knownriconst'ruction ofpneumatic suction deviceoperated,'for example, by a reciprocating pistonwithin acyllinder g andcarried on a car 7* rolling one.

of sheets.

trolley track 8. In operation the feeder p descends, picks up the topsheet from the stack, ascends, and then by the movement of the car 1"along the track 8, brings the sheet to the position, shown in dottedlines, over the table or support 7), whereupon the pneumatic suctionceases and the sheet is dropped onto this table. The feeder 10 thenreturns and repeats its operation, bringing a second sheet and droppingit on the first. The pair of sheets thus superposed are then fed intothe annealing furnace A. This furnace, being preferably of thecontinuous tunnel type, has one or more endless chains 10 carried aroundsprockets 11, 11, and traveling through the muffle chamber A of thefurnace, the chains being provided at suitable intervals with pusherpawls 12 for pushing along the pairs The sheets are first fed into thefurnace by means of a feeder it carried on a carriage Q) which may rollalong the same track 8, and reciprocates at timed intervals, beingprovided with feeding toes which engage behind the successive pairs ofsheets and push the two sheets at a time into the furnace, from whichpoint they are fed along in succession with other pairs through thefurnace by the chain feed. The feeders 'uL work in slots in the table orsupport 7), and the carriage 0 has its supporting members so far apartas to move freely beyond the outer edges of the sheets. The muiiie orannealing furnace A is of any known or suitable construction. A stack Gis shown with a connecting flue 13 controlled by a damper 14 for drawingvapors from the muffle up the stack.

Referring to Fig. 3, the other end of the furnace A is shown (thefurnace being of any suitable length), and the same feed chain 10appears in this figure, carried at this end on sprockets 15, 15. Thechain is fed by any suitable driving mechanism, and either continuouslyor intermittently. During their progress through the furnace the pairsof sheets are suitably heated according to the usual annealing process.They are fed out of the furnace by feeders H, H, each consisting of acar 16 rolling on a track 17 and carrying arms 18 which at theiradvancing ends have drop dogs 19 pivoted to them, which are adapted toslide freely over the tops of the sheets and drop down behind themduring the movement to the left of the feeders; and during theirmovement to the right in Fig. 3 the dogs push the sheets along. Thefeeders H, H, may be connected together and driven as one, or they maybe separately reciprocated, as desired. The essential operation is thatthe feeder.H feeds the sheets off from the chains 10 and out of thefurnace, and to the position shown at 20, where they are above the boshor cooling tank B. At the next stroke the feeder H slides the sheetsfrom the position 20 to position 21, where they are over the stack 0.

this instance is not mounted on a car.

Between the two successive feeding operations the pair of sheets inposition 20 is plunged down into the water in the bosh, as, for example,to the position shown in dotted lines at 22. In position 20 they arereceived on a grating of any convenient kind, and this grating is itselfplunged down, carrying the sheets with it into the water bath. To insurethat the sheets shall promptly go under water, a push device (not shown)is provided, which may conveniently be formed as a series of pins.

In position 21 the sheets are first received on any suitable support andthen this support is withdrawn abruptly so as to drop the sheets bodilyonto the stack O. For falling onto this stack they are suitably guided,in order to form a straight stack, by any suitable gauging devices such,for example, as is shown at 23; like devices being provided on all foursides of the stack if desired.

The stack is thus piled on a platform 24 which is carried on a car 25running on suitable trac-ks, and this car then may be run to carry theplatform 24: into any of the positions shown at c in Fig. 1, andeventually the stacks will be carried to either of the positions shownat f in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 4:, the same car 25 is here shown, and the sameplatform 24. On arriving in this position 7, a hydraulic ram J (or anyother suitable lifter) rises up through an opening in the car body andlifts the platform 24, so that the top of the stack is brought up Withinconvenient reach of another suction feed to which in its construction isessentially similar to that of the suction feed p of Fig. 2; It hasasimilar cylinderg, but Iin n operation, this suction feed descends uponthe stack, engages the top sheet, and lifts it to the position shown,holding it there while a rolling platform or car K having wheelstraveling on a track as, rolls under the elevated sheet, whereupon thesuction is released and the sheet is dropped onto the platform K.

Then by any suitable automatic mechanism this platform is rolled alongon its track to bring the sheet into the press O. This press is of anyusual construction of corrugating press and may be operated eithermechanically or hydraulically. As here shown, the bed 30 is movable andthe head or platen 31 is immovable. On the bed is carried the lower die32, while the upper die 33 is fastened beneath the head 31. These dieshave reciprocal faces to impart the necessary corrugations to the sheetas it is squeezed between them. At the instant when the sheet is fedinto the press, the bed 30 is lowered enough to afford the sheet freepassage over the lower die. Or if the bed is immovable, the carriage islocated to carry the sheet at a level suitably.

above the top of the lower die. The sheet is located in the press by anysuitable gauges amazes:

(not shown) andis held against displacement bylsucha gauges or by anysuitable stops of, well-known character. 7 thus located, and before theupper die: descends, the supporting barfor the sheet is fed into. placeand the suspension loops are applied, as will nowbe described.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the sheet islettered L, and its rod is M,the connecting loops being letteredN, N. These loopsare of copper, whichare folded closely around the rod.

The rods,having-been fed from their hopperg through apparatus h, 2,16(Fig. 1):, are pushed endwis-e by'the feeder 70 to a position. (Fig. 4)above the entering side of the press, and then are carrieddownsuccessively by afeeding mechanism 36until finally,after the sheethas been fed into place in the press,

one of the rods is brought down toposition,

40, where it is in the horizontal plane" of the sheet and directly infront of it. In this position thetwo strips of copper to form the loopsN, N, are fed into place against the rodand partly Wrapped around it.These strips are thus fed into avertical plane, as shown at 39, andwhile the rod is held fast at-its ends the strips are bent around thetopand bottom sidesof the rod in the manner shownin Fig. 7.. Thisbending may be variously accomplished, the ineansshown consisting of.a plunger 41* which approaches therod from the position shown at41 inFig. 4 and, encountering the strip, bends its upper and lower halvesinto horizontal positions against the top and bot.- tom-faces of therod, as shownin Fig. 7. The plungers 41 are then moved forward with therod: untilthe latter'is brought tothe position in Fig. 4. Thus'the twoends of the-strips to constitute the loops are brought above and belowthe plate L, and are then moved into contact with the plate byvertically-moving pressersbl, 52, as shown Fig. 8. While thus held, theloop endsarein correct register with the clinching punches 37, whichthen descend and penetrate through the threethicknesses of copper formedby the loop and sheet,

so that the upper thicknesses are carried down through the'low-er' onesturned outward and pressed or clinched down firmly into place, soas tobindthe three layers of copperintimately together. The clinched jointsthus formed are shown clearly in Figs; 5 and that 38. he preciseconstruction of punches or similar clinching means for accomplishingthis cutting and clinchingof' the metal pref erabl y at a singlestroke,forms no necessary part" of the present invention, but'will beinade thesubject of a separate apphcationafor-pa-tent. The punches 87 mayconveniently ,be carried on the platen 31,; or. they mi 'ht be otherwisemounted. Ifon the platen,.thefirst upward movement of the-he'd3.0hcausesthe punches 37 to penetrate the metaland perform theirfunction, andultimately, as the dies 32, 33-,cometogether and' sque-ezethe While the sheet is freeing themselves from therod and loops,

require to bemoved outof; the wayof the carriage K, ,foriwh-ich purposethey .may be droppedto theipositionshown in dotted lines at4l;-iIr*Fig.. 4.

The out-feedingvof the :finished cathode sheet is. preferably.performedbya movement in the same direction as the i-n-fee'cl, andwhereby it is carried outztothe-right in Fig.

4. For this, of course, the stops or gaugeswhich orig'inallylocateditsaremadeito move out of the way. The feeding out isperformed by anysuitable grippers whichaseize the sheet and moveit out, transferrin-gxitfirst-to the horizontal position shown: at 42. The same feedingmechanism preferably then swings the sheet from the horizontal,pl'aneinto a vertical -plane,'passingthrough. the; transitory positionsindicatedby dotted lines,;at;43 and 44 and bringing it to the verticalplane shown."

at 45; The sheets are thus: successively brought (Fig. 1):, andtheffinalmovementv 0f:tl1e' feed deposits. the sheetibetween two racks,with the projecting endsr'of the rod M. over -the upper edgesof theseracks, and leaves the sheet'there suspended by therod. f I

The sheets require. to beput into the, racks this purpose the rods.arexreversed in the apparatusshownat g-,=h,;orik (:Fig. I), and at anyconvenientil'ocation, so that every alternate Y rodihas its. twistedend. at the opposite side. The: rods retain these relative locationsduringthe successive operations, and consequently as theyaresuccessively fedto the-pd sition 45 in Fig.4, they are presentedonto} the racks 46 in the proper alternatedrelations,so that aseach rackis: filled it carriesthe: prescribed number and,v succession of, cathodesheets in proper relation for;being transported :1

cessity of handling'ormanipulating the sheets inany way: other than:directingazthe proper travelz'of' the cars-ifrom place; toiplace.

sheets in: pairs (tor-groups of" three 0 mm) for carrying themthroughthe annealing:

i with their rods alternatelyureversedc For i While it is'preferabletosuperposeutlre nace, yet it is within the invention to carry the sheetsthrough singly instead. Carrying them in pairs (or groups), however, ispreferable, as it increases the capacity with a given length of furnaceand duration of heating. r V

We claim as our invention:

1. The described mode of manufacturing cathode sheets of electrolyticcopper, comprising (1) feeding successive sheets froma stack; (2)entering such sheets into an elongated muffle furnace; carrying suchsheets through such furnace, whereby they are heated to a suitabletemperature; (4) feeding such sheets out of said furnace; (5) plungingthe sheets into abosh for cooling them; (6) stacking the sheets andtransporting them to a press; (7) feeding the sheets from such stackinto the press; (8) simultaneously feeding rods and loop-s to theirprescribed relation with the successive sheets; (9) wrapping the loopsaround the rod'and holding them with their ends embracing the sheet;(10) punching through the superposed layers of copper and clinching themtogether to unite the loops and rod to the sheet; (11) squeezing thesheet between the members of the press; (12) feeding the completed sheetout of the press, and (13) turning the sheet into a vertical plane anddepositing it in a carrying rack with the projecting ends of the rodresting on the rack. 2. The described succession of apparatus,comprising a mufie furnace adapted for heating the sheets to propertemperature for annealing, .means for feeding successive sheets from astack, means for feeding the sheets into said furnace, means forpropelling such sheets through the furnace, means for feeding the sheetsout of said furnace, a bosh, means for plunging the sheets into thewater of said bosh to cool them, means for stacking the sheets so thatthey may be transported; a press forsqueezing the sheets, means forfeeding the sheets from said last-named stack to the press, means forfeeding rods successively into relation with the sheets, means forfeeding pairs of copper strips to the rods, means for bending suchstrips into loops around the rod and holding them in prescribed relationwith the sheet, means for clinching together the superposed layers ofcopper to firmly attach the loops and rod to the sheet, means forfeeding the completed sheets from the press, and meansrfor turning theminto a vertical plane and for delivering them onto a rack.

3. The described mode of handling sheets of electrolytic copper for themanufacture of cathode sheets comprising (1) feeding successive sheetsfrom a stack, (2) enteringisuch sheets into an elongated muffle furnace,(3) carrying such sheets through such furnace whereby they are heated toa suitable temperature, (4) feeding such sheets out of said furnace, (5)plunging the sheets'into a bosh for cooling them, and (6) stacking thesheets one upon another and transporting them away from said bosh.

4. The described mode of manufacturing cathode sheets of electrolyticcopper comprising the successive operations of feeding the coppersheetsto a stamping press, simultaneously feeding rods and loops to prescribedrelationwith each of the successive sheet-s, wrapping the loops aroundthe rods and holding them with their ends embracing the sheet, punchingthrough the superposed layers of copper loops and sheet and clinchingthem together to unite the loops and rod to the sheet, squeezing thesheet between the members of the press, and feeding the completed sheetout of the press.

5. The described mode of handling cathode sheets of electrolytic copperfrom a stamping press, said sheets including an attached suspension rod,comprising feeding the completed sheet horizontally out of the press,turn ing the sheet into a vertical plane, and depositing it in acarrying rack with the projecting ends of the rod resting on the rack.

6. As a sub-process in the described mode of manufacturing cathodesheets of electrolytic copper, the successive steps of feeding thesheets singly from a stack, depositing such sheets on a support until aplurality of sheets are superposed thereon, and then feeding suchplurality of sheets together into and through the furnace.

7. The described apparatus comprising a muffle furnace, means forcarrying sheets through such furnace, means for feeding successivesheets into said furnace, means for feeding the sheets out of thefurnace, a bosh, means for plunging the sheets into the water of saidbosh to cool them, and means for stacking the sheets so that they may betransported.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further com prising means for feeding sheetsindividually from a stack, means for depositing them upon a supportuntil a desired plurality of sheets are superposed on such support, andmeans for feeding such superposed sheets together into and through saidfurnace.

9. The described apparatus comprising a press for squeezing the coppersheets, means for feeding the sheets individually to said press, meansfor feeding rods successively into relation with the sheets, means forfeeding pairs of copper strips to the rods, means for bending suchstrips into loops around the rod and holding them in prescribed relationwith the sheet, and means forclinching together the superposed layers ofcopper to firmly attach the loops and rod to the sheet.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

WM. F. EPPENSTEINER. WILLIAM F. EPPENSTEINER,

